Watch the video below to learn how to Estimate Your Pension Benefit.
Rollover contributions refer to moving funds from one retirement account to another without incurring taxes or penalties.
If you have Lifetime Retirement Income plan assets that are not annuitized, meaning you are not receiving monthly payouts from your plan account, you are eligible to roll over any other existing accounts such as IRAs, 403(b)’s, 401(k)’s, or other pre-tax retirement accounts into the Plan. You may withdraw any money you roll over at any time or turn it into lifetime retirement income payments at retirement.
Consolidating your accounts makes it easier for you to track your retirement assets and take advantage of any of the Pension Boards’ 11 investment fund options, all in one place.
Our faith-based investment strategies align with your values and that our church and are based on policies that support human rights and dignity, environmental stewardship, and sound corporate governance practices. Your investments through the Pension Boards have a purpose – socially and environmentally.
If you are interested in learning more about our investment fund strategies, please see below. You may also be interested in learning about our Corporate Social Responsibility work here.
Getting started is easy. Complete the Rollover Form below and email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also mail the form to: Pension Boards-UCC, 475 Riverside Drive, Room 1020, New York, NY 10115, or fax the form to 212-729-2701. Our staff will review the form and begin the rollover process for your plan.
For questions, call Member Services at 1.800.642.6543, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET.
Click here to download Fidelity’s Rollover Contribution Form and its instructions.
Learn more about the Pension Boards’ investment funds below.
Click here to be directed to the Social Security Retirement Estimator on the Social Sercurity Administrations web site.
Your retirement benefits may vary slightly from the actual benefit you will receive in the future because:
ONLINE: Open enrollment for the Flexible Benefit Plan for UCC Ministries (generically referred to as the Flexible Spending Account or “FSA”) will take place November 1st through November 30, 2024. Please go to the PBUCC Login Portal, and click the FSA Enrollment button.
With health care costs rising faster than both salaries and inflation, wouldn’t it be great to find a way to reduce the out-of-pocket costs?
Wouldn’t it be great to find a way to pay those costs with before-tax dollars?
Well, it’s now possible to do both with one benefit plan – the Flexible Benefit Plan for UCC Ministries (generically referred to as the “Flexible Spending Account” or “FSA”).
The FSA consists of two reimbursement accounts where clergy and lay employees can elect to set aside a portion of their earnings, before federal income and FICA taxes are withheld, to pay for certain medical and dependent care expenses they will face in the coming year. Each pay period during the year, dollars are deducted from salary and placed in the FSA.
When an eligible medical expense is incurred, the participant files a claim and a reimbursement, up to the amount of the elected annual deferral, is paid from the FSA, even if that amount has yet to be deposited in the participant’s account. Dependent care expenses are reimbursed up to the balance in the dependent care reimbursement account.
A detailed list of eligible expenses can be found below, but may include
See how it is possible, at very little cost to UCC churches and church-related employers, to provide clergy and lay employees with an opportunity to keep more of what they earn.
Remember, these are expenses that people will be facing with or without the Flexible Benefit Plan, so why not choose now to help ease the burden?
| Without the Medical FSA / Dependent Care FSA | With the Medical FSA / Dependent Care FSA | |
| Annual Income | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Eligible Medical Expenses | $0 | $3,050 |
| Eligible Dependent Care Expenses | $0 | $5,000* |
| Taxable Income | $50,000 | $41,950 |
| Estimated Income Taxes** | $6,308 | $4,814 |
| Estimated FICA Taxes | $3,825 | $3,209 |
| After-Tax Expenses | $8,050 | $ 0 |
| Net Disposable Income | $31,817 | $33,927 |
| Savings Using the FSA | $2,110 | |
| *The Maximum allowable FSA election is determined by the IRS. **Based on 2023 rates for Single filing status |
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To the extent not covered by the Medical and Dental Benefits Plan, expenses that qualify for reimbursement may include:
Dependent care expenses that may qualify for reimbursement may include:
Download the brochure, Flexible Benefit Plan for UCC Ministries: Information for Employers.
Membership in the Annuity Plan is open to anyone working for a UCC employer. The Annuity Plan is a defined contribution plan as described in section 403(b)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code. The General Synod of the United Church of Christ recommends that 14% of salary basis be contributed by the employer. For lay employees, a minimum of 3% is recommended. This amount, over a full career, along with Social Security, is estimated to provide an income in retirement that is sufficient to sustain a member’s standard of living.
Contributions to your Annuity Plan account may be invested in any of the nine available investment funds (or in a combination of the funds):
Each Fund is professionally managed with lower fees than most mutual funds. The earlier you participate, the more time your account has to grow. Early enrollment is therefore important.
You can supplement your employer's contributions and defer taxes by making personal contributions to a Tax-Sheltered Annuity (TSA). For more information please click here.
You also have the opportunity to consolidate other IRA, 403(b), 401(k) or other pre-tax accounts into a Rollover Contribution Account for non-annuitized employees or a Retirement Savings Account for annuitized employees or retirees. For more information on the Rollover Contribution Account (RCA) click here. For more information on the Retirement Savings Account (RSA) click here.
If you wish to begin participation in the Annuity Plan, click here for an Annuity Plan Membership and Other Benefits application. If you wish to make personal contributions, you will be required to complete a TSA Salary Reduction Agreement form along with your Annuity Plan application. Click here for a Employee Retirement Contribution Agreement Form.
A member may designate any person or persons (including a trust or other entity), as beneficiary to whom the Pension Boards will pay the member's annuity account in the event of the member’s death. The designation of beneficiary must be supplied to the Pension Boards. Marriage revokes any previous beneficiary designation. If no spouse or primary beneficiary(ies), survive you, payment will be made to your estate. If you designate a minor as a beneficiary, generally a probate court would have to appoint a guardian to receive and administer the benefits to the minor at your death. You may prefer to provide for a minor by naming a trust established in your will (a "testamentary trust") as your beneficiary. If you wish to complete a Beneficiary Designation form, click here.
The normal retirement age of members of the Annuity Plan for the UCC is 65, but retirement and benefits may begin either before or after that age, as explained below. Retirement effective dates are always the first day of the month. The later you begin to receive annuity payments, the larger they will be. If you die at any time before annuity payments begin, your full accumulation is payable to the beneficiary you have named, generally as a monthly annuity, if your beneficiary is your spouse or another dependent.
For more information, click here to see the booklet, The Path to Retirement.
If a member reaches age 72 and is not working for a UCC employer, Conference, Association or National Staff, he/she is required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to take an RMD from the Annuity Plan for the current year no later than April of the following year. All RMDs are subject to a 10% Federal income tax withholding.
Click here for a copy of the Annuity Plan for the UCC plan document.
Note: If you are employed by an employer other than a UCC church, Conference, Association or National Staff, contact us for the appropriate plan document.
You can supplement your employer's contributions or establish your own retirement savings plan by making pre-tax contributions, known as a tax-sheltered annuity or TSA. This makes saving for retirement easy through regular payroll deductions, while reducing your Federal income taxes. No Federal income tax is deducted on these deferred amounts, and the earnings on them are tax-free until they are withdrawn. And if you are a minister, payments from your pre-tax retirement contributions are eligible for the housing allowance tax exclusion, which is not true for distributions from IRAs or similar retirement accounts. You can begin making employee pre-tax contributions with as little as $25 a month.
Each year, the IRS sets maximum contribution limits that depends on your salary. For 2025, the maximum amounts that can be contributed are as follows:
- Employees up to age 49 contributions: $23,500
- Employees age 50+ with catch-up contributions: $31,000
- Employees ages 60, 61, 62, 63 with catch-up contributions: $34,750
The total contribution to the Lifetime Retirement Income Plan in 2025 (both employer and employee contributions) cannot exceed the lesser of $70,000 (plus catch-up contributions) or 100% of cash salary.
You also have the opportunity to consolidate other IRA, 403(b), 401(k), or other pre-tax accounts into a Rollover Contribution Account for non-annuitized employees or a Retirement Savings Account for annuitized members who have an account with the Pension Boards. For more information on the Rollover Contribution Account (RCA), click here. For more information on the Retirement Savings Account (RSA), click here.
Download the booklet, Your Investment Options.
Download a copy of the Lifetime Retirement Income Plan for the UCC plan document.
Note: If you are employed by an employer other than a UCC church, Conference, Association or on National Staff, please contact us for the appropriate plan document.
“Well done good and faithful servant!”
Matthew 25:21 RSV
In the parable of the talents, Jesus encourages us to use our gifts to grow the Reign of God. God encourages us to invest not only our skills and abilities, but also our wealth and the resources made available to us at work.
The Pension Boards-United Church of Christ can assist you. By contributing as little as $25/month to an employee pre-tax contribution account (also referred to as a tax-sheltered annuity or TSA), you can:
The Annuity Plan for the United Church of Christ is a 403(b) retirement account designed for those working at United Church of Christ organizations. You can contribute to your retirement on a pre-tax basis through a simple payroll reduction. Start with as little as $25 a month—or invest as much as the IRS allows!
Click here to learn more about employee pre-tax contributions, or call 1.800.642.6543 today!
* Ernst & Young financial planning services are available to all actively contributing PBUCC members. E&Y financial planners understand PBUCC’s plans and deliver independent, objective and confidential counseling services. They do not sell investment or insurance products.
When you retire, and change from accumulating to receiving benefits, your total accumulation is "annuitized" to provide your monthly annuity income. The greater your accumulation, the greater your retirement income.
